Issue - meetings

Forward Plan Ref: 2020/076

Contact: Hugh Potter, Group Manager – Area Operations Hub Tel: 07766 998704

Report by Director for Community Operations (Interim) (CMDE5).

In June 2018 and April 2019 the Cabinet Member for Environment approved a programme of new CPZs in Oxford to address numerous local issues and help support the delivery of wider transport initiatives across the City. This report presents responses to a formal consultation on a new CPZ in the Marston North area (previously referred to as the New Marston area).

The Cabinet Member for Environment is RECOMMENDED to approve the proposals as advertised for a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) in the Marston North area, but with the times and days of week  of the CPZ restrictions in Horseman Close, Clay Close, Jessops Close  and Dents Close being amended so as to align with those for the other parts of the CPZ.

Approved but defer implementation to allow consideration of an Informal Consultation for Old Marston.

The Leader of the Council considered (CMDE5) responses received to a formal consultation on a new Controlled Parking Zone in the Marston North area (previously referred to as the New Marston area)

James Poole a local resident stated that the consultation responses showed clearlythat this parking zone proposal was deeply unpopular with only 29% of residents in support and even then the majority support had been confined to only 9 of the 30 streets affected and in 3 of those, from the sole respondent. The primary concern raised by residents had been lack of need as parking for residents was not an issue. The report had stated that it should be stressed that the proposals sought to alleviate problems associated with commuter parking and overflow parking from adjacent CPZs. However, that concern was clearly not shared by the majority of residents who were querying the actual need for controlled parking in any form, citing that parking pressures in the area were not especially severe and that the scheme would instead cause unnecessary inconvenience and expense for existing residents and their visitors. Residents did not want this CPZ and did not see any need for it and were objecting to its imposition against their wishes. The recommendation that it should go ahead contradicted the results of the consultation. The report’s primary reason for overturning the wishes of residents seemed to be that CPZs would become increasingly important if policy proposals such as demand management mechanisms e.g. traffic restrictions, or promoting higher density development in the city, were agreed. Those proposals were themselves subject to consultation with the outcome  unknown and, even if implemented, their impact on the Marston North area was uncertain seeming very likely that any impact would be low and well within the tolerance of residents, rendering the CPZ unnecessary. Like other residents, he had not expressed his full objection at the consultation stage since he as presumably had others assumed that the council would determine to press ahead regardless which had now been confirmed by the report.  If it was decided to go ahead against the clear response of residents, he urged that the recommendation to align Horseman Close, Clay Close, Jessops Close and Dents Close with the rest of the CPZ be accepted otherwise, the small amount of football-related parking at weekends would be pointlessly displaced to other streets less able to cope with it and the loss of the 2hr visitor parking would be extremely damaging to community life, unnecessarily constraining after school playdates and the visiting of elderly relatives. It was clear from the consultation that the most disliked aspect of this unwanted proposal was the application of stricter restrictions to these streets with only 9.7% of residents in favour. He asked that this unnecessary CPZ should not be imposed on residents who had clearly demonstrated did not support it but if it was to go ahead against the wishes of residents, then the need to align those four roads referred to above with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5